SrI: Dear SrI.Vishnu, aDiyEn was struggling with the same question during my initial stages. Although reaching around 40, aDiyEn is not a senior-in-sampradAya matters, as I spent my earlier times going after so many confusing philosophies. However, I've got my answers from a few scholars which I've to share with you, although I'm in the learning process. (Again, I'm prone to mistakes.... ) There are supposed to be 8.4 million types of beings in the world, belonging to various species, classes and races. Within each category, you've countable (like human beings) and infinite living beings. Also, sampradAyam says that an object which has a form & name has a jeevan too (recall 'dhadhipAnDan's claypot), although it is in 'dormant' state.(Its dharma-bhUta gnyAnam has shrunk) Do we have jeevans only in this world? No. They are everywhere. They spread in all the seven lOkAs and in nithya vibhUti. Only the nithyAs and mukthAs do not take birth in bhUlOkam (but they can appear here, as per the tiruvuLLam of the Lord to guide the suffering beings). The jeevans in the leelA vibhUti(which includes chaturmukha brahma lOkam, rudra lOkam, svarga lOkam, naraga lOkam etc.) are subject to the cycle of birth-and-death. They are born as any species based on their karma-vinai and as per the sankalpam of the Lord. (B.G: The Lord places a gharbam in a yOni) So, we should not consider only bhUloka jeevans and in particular only the human beings. So, they remain infinite (Please include all those objects which have form and name). If kulasEkhara AzhvAr says in a pAsuram that he wants to become a step-stone(paDikkaTTu) in tirumalA, it has a meaning in sampradAyam. If an AzhvAr says that he is an 'angrirENu' of a bhAgavathA, it refers to a 'lucky jeevan' in sampradAyam. Hope this helps to comprehend the count(?) of jeevans and the different form of births they are subjected to undergo.(Exclude the reverred-citizens of nithya vibhUti) bhAgavatAngrirENu, Mukundan ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/.itolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ramanuja/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ramanuja-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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